Endocrinologist Burnout: We Need to Tackle It and Bring Joy to Work

Physician burnout is a national problem that has gained increasing attention among the medical community. Many organizations like the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine are taking action.

Endocrinologists and other members of the endocrine community are not immune to burnout. Approximately 47% of endocrinologists report feeling burnt out or have experienced symptoms of burnout, and this number is rising.

The consequences of burnout include personal factors such as stress, depression, and risk of suicide as well as organizational impacts like decreased quality of care, increased clinical errors, reduced empathy for patients, decreased patient satisfaction, and higher turnover rates, with some physicians leaving practice altogether. Burnout has substantial economic impacts at an organizational level, and high costs are associated with replacing, recruiting, and retraining endocrinologists. Endocrinologists identified feeling a lack of respect from administration, excessive bureaucratic tasks, increased computerization, emphasis on profit that has contributed to loss of control over schedules, and insufficient compensation as top contributors to burnout. One strategy to address burnout is to focus on the promotion of joy in work. Joy in work is guided by 4 key themes: meaning, camaraderie, choice, and equity. Each of these themes can be implemented through cocreating solutions. We discuss how each theme can be addressed among endocrine practices.

Ultimately, initiatives need to be implemented across the endocrinology community to cultivate joy and reduce burnout.